CUSTOM FABRIC PRINTS
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QUOTE CATALOG
A woman shows a group of backpackers around her homestead. She gestures towards the outhouse and insists they can use it whenever they need. She got indoor plumbing installed this year so she doesn’t use it anymore.
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A hiker peaks into the outhouse, “that must’a been an exciting upgrade for you.”
​
“I don’t know,” she hesitates. “I miss coming out here in the middle of the night. It helped me appreciate the night sky.”
Hipcamp Property
Terlingua, TX
2023
Appreciate the night sky
A random girl heckles a photographer shooting a session for a lifestyle brand. She’s fine being the butt of her own joke as she sticks out her stomach and yells “don’t you want me in there!?”
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She turns to her friends, “Seriously dude, I’m wearing that hat, like, I’m a real customer, they should want me in there.”
She turns back to the photographer, “Am I in the club? Let me in the club!”
​​
Rialto Beach
Clallam, WA
2020
Am I in the club?
A woman talks to her partner on speaker phone, “I need your ass here.”
He responds, “my braids not done!”
​
She presses, “This is a come as-is situation, boy.”
​
Outside Hey Love
Portland, OR
2022
As Is
A mom totes her two preschoolers around town in a front-loading bike carriage. The three are mid conversation as they come to the intersection.
​
One says, “I like blue.” The other, “I like blue too.”
Back to the first, “Blue is mine.”
Mom settles it, “Lonny can like blue too. Blue is for everybody”
​
Cherry St
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
Blue is for everybody
​
A local comedian tells a story on stage at a Women’s Festival.
Sheldon Ave
Grand Rapids, MI
2019
Came out to my mom in a Home Goods parking lot
Two women work on a renovation in their camper van. Table saws, air compressors, and impact drivers whoo and whir. A man, perceivably high on something, stands at the end of the driveway staring at the organized chaos. One woman emerges from underneath the van, moments later the other woman steps out from behind the side door.
“Whoa” he exclaims under his breath.
The woman invites the man into conversation with a “Hey there!” He leaves his daze to clarify what he’s seeing “This is your project, ladies?”
Sure is!
He stumbles a little and re-enters his daze. “Cooooool…but weird.” They’re amused by his unfiltered disbelief that women are working on a vehicle.​
South Hills Neighborhood
Grand Rapids, MI
2023
Cool but weird
At the checkout counter, a woman takes small talk to the next level.
​
She bypasses the “How are ya?” and goes straight for the, “What if we lived in Alaska right now? Can you imagine no light on top of a global pandemic and seasonal depression, YIKES.”
​
Goodwill
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
Can you imagine no light?
In line at a UPS, an elderly man decides to entertain waiting patrons. “I got a joke for ya.” The woman behind him was hesitant to engage but she folds as she slowly turns around, “do you now…” The joke ends up being about roadkill. The innocent content yields a relieved laugh from his mini audience.
Encouraged, he follows with another about giraffes not being able to swallow their pride. Another patron gets involved in the camaraderie, “you know what these are, don’t you?” The man’s posture changes, he was uncomfortable not knowing where the question was going. “These are dad jokes, you must be a dad.”
​
He perks back up, “Do I meet the criteria? Because I sure am!”
​
UPS
East Grand Rapids, MI
2021
Do I meet the criteria?
Inside a booth at a craft market, a white woman with blond curly hair skims through a clothing rack. She wears a shirt with Arabic scrip printed across it. A shopper next to her, a native Arabic speaker, gestures at her chest, “So, do you speak it?”
The woman, perhaps discerning whether or not she’s being checked assertively responds, “I do! I’m learning because of him,” She gestures at her boyfriend who walks over and the three chat excitedly over their unexpected connection.
​
Renegade Craft Fair
Wicker Park
2022
[So] do you speak it?
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A couple argues about the best way to travel as COVID numbers wax and wane across the country.
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The Next Door Gastro Pub
Port Angeles, WA
2021
Don't you want me to fly?
A woman gives short answers to her guy as he tries to start up conversation.
​
He asks if something’s wrong.
She says no.
He squints at her in suspicion.
She says can’t I just enjoy the space?
​
After a few minutes, his body language shows signs of defeat. She feels bad and breaks the silence, “It’ll be good to see your parents this weekend.” He responds “Yeah it’ll be nice!”
He sips his beer and looks over the rim of his glass to get a read on whether he should keep the convo going or if she’s still “enjoying the space.”
​
Bend Brewing Co
Bend, OR
2022
Enjoy Space
Everything always goes towards the sun
An older man and a little girl talk about releasing a painted turtle back into its natural habitat. On their hands and knees, they peer off the dock into the water below. The girl points to a pile of eroded cinder blocks just under the surface. She suggests the turtle might like to make its new home nestled in the debris.
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The man responds, “we can try to set him down there but I bet he’ll swim back up this way. He’ll probably go towards the sun. Everything always goes towards the sun.”
​
Snow Lake
Fremont, IN
2020
Everything always goes towards the sun
At a gift shop, two girls sift through dog name magnets on a spinning display.
After they pass the Zs, they’re uninspired.
With a stroke of brilliance one pipes up, what if we name him after pasta?
They go back and forth rattling off options.
​
Main Street
North Hampton, MA
2022
Fettuccine
Tortellini
Linguine
Bucatini
A man takes a poll on Goldfish flavor preferences.
Muskegon State Park
Muskegon, MI
2018
Flavor blasted or bust
Two couples wait for a table outside a diner. One couple invites the other to a Saturday baseball game. Simultaneously, the other couple responds— the woman accepts and the man regrets the invitation.
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She looks up at him with confusion before he reminds her of his work banquet next weekend. She pulls back from him with an exaggerated groan. He gives her a sympathetic chuckle and responds, “Baaaabe, we RSVP’d already.”
After a few moments of observing her dread, he admits that the event will suck and proposes she go to the game. She looks at him, grins and pats his butt gently, and restates her wedding vows in playful concession, agreeing to join him at the stupid banquet.
​
Outside of Wolfgang’s Restaurant
Grand Rapids, MI
2016
For better or for worse
Let's go honey
A dad and son sporting his T-ball gear walk towards an inbound jogger.
The dad steps off the sidewalk assuming his kid will follow. When he doesn’t the dad tries to shoo him out of their way with a stern “Bud!” But instead the kid plants himself so dead-on in their path that the jogger has to stutter step around him, practically falling over to avoid him.
He turns to make eye contact with the jogger all just to deliver an adorably genuine “GOOD JOB!!”
Paris Ave
Grand Rapids, MI
2022
Good Job!
A post office employee wears a jingly antler headband on a full-capacity day in the post office.
​
In the monotony of her work day, she seemed to have forgotten that her head gear invited holiday cheer. She was surprised when a patron shouted from the line “Look at that headgear. We gotta show that spirit! And you’re doin it!”
​
In the minutes that followed she radiated a confident glow, that kind we get from unsolicited affirmation. Her greetings to customers shifted from “Next in line, please” to “Step on up, my dear. How are we today!”
USPS
Grand Rapids, MI
2021
Gotta show that spirit!
A sturdily built dude side-saddles the railing of his apartment stoop ready to take the fun way down.
​
His petite girlfriend runs down the stairs and announces she’s ready to catch her boy.
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Bucktown Neighborhood
Chicago, IL
2024
Got you, baby!
During a tasting, a patron asks their server to talk about the bumble bee motif in their signage and decor.
​
“Well it’s kind of like the illustration for all the love and work that goes into this place. Ya know, greater good, common goal, coexistence, like the bees.”
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Meadowcroft Wines
Sonoma, CA
2022
Greater good,
common goal,
coexistence,
like the bees
A man sitting at a bar hollers to a girl a few seats over. “Hey, you wanna see a meme?”
Her body language says ‘absolutely not’. But she hesitantly agrees, bracing herself for what she might assume to be some borderline
offensive material.
​
He slides his phone down the bar top. The screen shows a hotdog topped with ice cubes. She gives him a side-eye, feeling like there still might be a dirty joke somewhere in there. “It’s a chili dog!” he says. She laughs at the harmless pun. She walks his phone back to him.
​
He says, “I don’t know why that gets me!
Probably ‘cause I grew up on chili dogs.”
She grabs her drink and moves over to the stool next to his.
​
Bigfoot Tavern
Crescent, OR
2022
Grew up on chili dogs
A man discusses the specific breed of his bulldog with a curious family on a walk.
His affect is guarded as he explains the breed’s history, but his demeanor grows squishier as the group’s attention shifts to the dog itself. He trails off as he lovingly reiterates how good his boy is.
Edgewater Park
Cleveland, OH
2022
He's a good boy
He's a good boy
Two girls sit on a front porch talking about the protests going on downtown.
​
Their conversation is interrupted by a call from one girl’s mother. The girl listens to her mom’s concerns about the news reports in her daughter’s city. She comforts her, “Hi mom, I’m safe” then follows with a seamlessly delivered lie, “we’re just chillin’ on the porch tonight.”
​
When the girl hangs up she turns to her friend, “She doesn’t follow you, right? Either way let’s not post anything, that woman has her ways.” They throw backpacks on and start to mobilize.
​
Warren Ave
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
Hi Mom
I'm safe
A man seeks counsel from his female friend after finding himself in no man’s land during a second date.
​
He recounts the date for his friend explaining he thought it might be charming to order her drink for her. It would show how attentive he is for remembering exactly what she got on their last date.
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Alas, his date was only offended and the poor boy was left devastated that he was misunderstood as a misogynist.
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De Steeg Brewing
Denver, CO
2018
How do I be chivalrous and woke?
Like, help
A woman fills a handmade bird feeder that hangs on a tree along a city street.
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A passerby acknowledges her work, “That must feel so good knowing you’re making your community a more beautiful place!”
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The woman responds, “I do it for the birds.”
The passerby, unsure how to respond, gives an awkward smile and walks away.
​
Lake Drive
Grand Rapids, MI
2022
I do it for the birds
A woman jogs past two other women on a walk. The one looks at the other and asks “What would you do to be able to run like that?”
Fountain Street
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
I'd do anything
Two men mourn the outcome of the 2020 election. They reflect on what contributed to their loss.
​
One man claims their party’s values are misunderstood by the LGBTQ community, “Ya see, I’m fine with the gays! Love ‘em!”
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His friend ignores the statement at first. Lost in his own thoughts about civil liberties he adds, “Just think: what if we took away their weed like they wanna take away our guns. They’d have a fit!” Then he circles back, “...but anyway, yeah, ya love who ya love, what does it matter. That, I get it.”
​
Goodwill
Angola, IN
2020
I'm fine with the gays,
love 'em!
​
Two strangers run into each other at the bottom of a ski hill The exchange goes back and forth until both parties feel less guilty.
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Boyne Mountain Resort
Boyne Falls, MI
2021
I'm okay, are you okay?
As a woman finds her grip balancing three boxes filled with Jimmy John’s sandwich orders, her male coworker reaches to grab the top box from her stack. She turns away, insisting on carrying them all.
​
Excerpt from p 198
Sonder: The Art of Empathy
Through Eavesdropping
I got it
I got it
I got it
Hours after her basketball game, a player lingers outside the gym.
​
“I don’t know why I’m still here. I’m so tired and I have so much work to do. She shifts her weight back gearing up to be vulnerable. She punches her friend’s arm, “I don’t want to leave ‘cause you’re all here and I miss you guys.”
​
Wellspring Preparatory High School
Grand Rapids, MI
2021
I miss everyone
A girl and a guy take an early morning stroll through the laxative aisle at a grocery store.
The girl gets more and more irritated with every medication he suggests. After a Pepto Bismol and a Tums proposal, he holds up a box of Gas-X, “So, why won’t this work?”
​
She fires back, “I’M NOT REGULAR. What do you not understand?”
​
He cowers towards the gummy vitamins to stay out of her way while she chooses the best solution for her back up.
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Safeway
Butte, MT
2020
I'm not regular
Over many years, a woman in the DC area has accumulated five carts to store her belongings. Rather than pushing one and pulling one, or attaching them together, she pushes one down a block and leaves it at the corner, then walks back a block to retrieve another and pushes it to join the forwardmost cart. She repeats this process until all five carts sit at the same corner, then she starts again.
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She moves about the city this way, always with a serene, detached demeanor, never upset or interacting with anyone else.
​
A young professional passes her and asks, “I’m walking this way anyway, I could push one of your carts alongside you to save you a trip?” She gently declines the offer.
California Ave
Washington, DC
2018
I prefer to go slow
A young man gives a synopsis about one of his first social encounters since quarantine began. He recounts the moment with a cringe, “I couldn’t remember how to make conversation. I just kept reiterating whatever she said.
She’d be like, “it’s so nice out”
I’d be like, “...SO nice!”
“I really needed a break from my apartment.”
Same, I just needed a break, man.
“It’s crazy this is all still going on.”
Seriously, so crazy!
He closed the reflection with, “I just wanted to save us both and call myself an Uber. Damn, I am REAL rusty”
​
Le Bon Macraron
Grand Rapids, MI
2021
I am real rusty
A couple escapes their group of friends for some alone time. They’re being summoned back to their crew with a phone call:
“Y’all gettin’ ice cream!?”
​
She turns to her girlfriend and they simultaneously exchange wide-eyed nods.
“Yeah we do, go ahead and order for us and we’ll make our way back to you. I’ll take Rocky Road. And she’ll have…What’ll ya have babe?”
​​
She contemplates, “Oooo…Vanilla?
Yeahhhh Vanilla.”
​
“And she’ll have vanil…” She cuts herself off and turns back to her girl, “VANILLA!?
Are you my grandad?”
​
She nods shamelessly: “I’m your Grandad.”
​
Pismo Beach Pier
Pismo Beach, CA
2021
I'm your grandad
A family of three orders their brunch at the takeout window of a diner and wait for their name to be called.
After 15 minutes the five year old mentions that she can’t wait to get her orange juice. Mom redirects, “When I asked if you wanted orange juice or milk, you said milk. Do you mean you can’t wait for your milk?”
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A tantrum erupts.
​
Dad suggests they go switch the order, but Mom opts for a life lesson instead.
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Sunny Point Cafe
Asheville, NC
2021
It matters what words you use
A woman meets the clerk at the check out with one drinking glass. “Just this?” the gal at the checkout asks.
“I only need this. I’ve been trying to complete this set for years, I grew up with ‘em. These were what my dad drank his cocktails from when he’d get home from work. I’m slowly finding all the pieces, it’ll all come together someday.”
​
The clerk asks her to write down her number and she’ll give her a call if she sees any more come through.
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Goodwill of the Great Plains
Rapid City, SD
2023
It'll all come together
Two women share a basket of chips on an outdoor patio. A little girl comes up to their table.
"Hey! I’m about to be 6!"
"How exciting, what’s going to be your birthday party theme?
"What’s a birthday party theme?"
"You know, like unicorns or pirates or dinos..."
"I never had a party. I’m not sure…"
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The other woman reads the little girl’s shame and saves the convo with a new question, What’s your doll’s name?
"Sarah!"
​"What! No way, my name is Sarah!!"
​
The little girl makes the doll rub her stomach as if she’s hungry. The woman looks at her friend holding the chip basket,
Well, pass them over, Sarah is starving!!
​
Everyone starts crunching on chips in solidarity with the hungry toy. Now that the little girl understands what a party theme is she offers,
"Okay so maybe today is her birthday party and the theme is chips! It’s a chip party!"
​
Tacos el Milagro
Terlingua, TX
2023
It's a chip party!
A woman talks about caring for her husband who recently had a stroke.
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Dog Story Theatre
Grand Rapids, MI
2019
It's a far cry from normal but I'm learning
A server explains to his table why sailing on mountain lakes can be challenging. Because the mountains cause winds to change on a dime, extreme weather happens fast.
​
Everyone thinks they’re good enough to sail it, but like the clouds, like bodies and boats, it’s all subject to gravity.
Pug Ryan’s Tiki Bar
Dillon CO
2023
It's all subject to gravity
A jogger passes an outdoor patio of a breakfast joint. A four-top points and laughs at the unopened beer in his sweaty hand.
​
With a smirk and shrug he explains himself and they raise their water glasses to him.
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Silver Spoon Restaurant
Easthampton, MA
2020
It's routine, cheers!
Two women meet up at a karaoke after already parting ways earlier in the night.
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Mario’s Marina Bar
Shelter Cove, CA
2025
I thought we might end up here
A group of middle aged women share their apprehensions about the candiates. One woman, confident in her choice, interrupts the waffling to explain why it was an easy decision for her.
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Vandermill Cidery
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
I voted for decency
Two guys share a beer on the patio of a brewery discussing their quarantine-lows. One shares an unexpected emotional experience on a hunting range.
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He reflects on the moments following one of his shots, watching a pigeon tumble in the air against the backdrop of the blue sky. He explained how he felt making his way towards his kill, “I was like ‘nice, I needed that for my self-esteem.’”
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But when he found the bird, he noticed the bullet only skimmed its wing. It was stunned but very much alive.
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The barren social landscape had him thinking more about the bird’s potential as a companion and less as a freezer-meal.
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Brewery Vivant
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
I was thinking, maybe I'll just keep the pigeon.
Then I thought,
man, I'm lonely
I want a sip of everything
An elderly woman and her son explore the chain restaurant’s drink menu.When the waitress tells her the beer pours are 16 ounces, she scoffs, “I can’t drink all that!” She orders 2 beers and then, without consultation, insists her son will drink whatever she doesn’t finish.
The son pipes up, “I was just planning on one beer, ma.”
She responds, “Well, I like to see what’s out there. I want a sip of everything then I’m sure you’ll drink the rest once they’re here.”
The waitress toggles her eyes back and forth between them. After seconds of silence she presumes Ma to be the victor.
With four practically full beers on the table, the woman breaks the silence, “Well, I just like to see what’s out there. All they ever give us at home is wine. Anyway, if you want those, you better be quick about it, we should head to our flight.”
The cluster of gently-used brews sit in front of the exhausted man like a little army.
​
Minneapolis-Saint Paul Int’l Airport
Minneapolis, MN
2020
On the day after the vice presidential debate, a patio table of pals begins to chat about the event.
At the center of their conversation is the house fly who earned more than its 15 minutes of fame by getting cozy on Mike Pence’s head as he spoke about police reform. They pour one out for the true MVP of the debate.
Before they transition to a new topic one guy reflects, “So crazy, that fly has no idea he’s famous.” A girl across from him says, “He? Please, that was a female fly for sure.”
The table agrees and he corrects himself. The conversation ends with them pondering her whereabouts.
​
Vandermill Taproom
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
I wonder where she is now
A woman explains that her husband was keeping his anxiety at bay by watching fly fishing videos on Instagram. She recaps their conversation to her friend:
I said, why don’t you take a class and buy a rod!
He said that’s too expensive.
But I say do it! Because that’s what money is for!
Think of it like a copay if it makes you feel healthier.
He said we don’t have money for gear for both
of us and I would wanna get you the gear too.
So I said Oh honey I don’t want all that,
but I’ll still come with ya but I just want to be around.
​
All Saints Public House
Cleveland, OH
2023
Just wanna be around
Maybe people will start to see why this all matters
A woman tries to land a tent site at a campground near Grand Teton National Park. When the ranger tells her she’s too late to get a site she responds with, “It’s like I can’t get here early enough! It hasn’t always been like this.”
The ranger explains that they’ve been busier ever since the pandemic pushed us outside. The parks are bringing in folks who want to explore even if they’ve never hiked a day in their life.
The woman’s frustration gives way to an optimistic take, “At least people are getting out here. That’s the way it should be. Parks are for everyone.” The ranger closes their chat with a hope that this busy season will create some unifying patriotism and a change in the way we treat our planet.
​
Colter Bay Campground
Moran, WY
2020
In a grocery store parking lot, two old friends fill each other in on their summers.
One woman gestures for her friend to look at pictures of her remodeled home. When she scrolls too far, her friend sees a selfie of the woman in a hospital gown, surrounded by IV bags, and hooked up to monitors. Her friend stutters through some half-spoken words as if deciding whether to put her on the spot.
The woman relieves the awkwardness by flicking her wrist dismissively and giving a cheeky answer.
​
Trader Joe’s
Grand Rapids, MI
2019
My heart was misbehaving
A vendor at farmers market explains how she ended up with two too many chickens.
I already have 16 chickens at home.
My wife said ‘too many chickens’.
So I took two of ‘em to an auction house.
I said to the guy ‘these aren’t for slaughter. Can you make sure of that? They’re for eggs. And they’d prefer to stay together.’
The man said he couldn’t guarantee it.
I said ‘Well, could you at least name them when you put ‘em up so folks don’t wanna eat ‘em?
He said ‘no ma’am I can’t.’
I said ‘oh come on, name the chickens!’
He said no ma’am so I turned around and left.”
The two chickens sat behind her veggie table in a cage waiting for the perfect owner.
​
Florence Farmers Market
Northampton, MA
2022
Name the chickens
Need a little help
Need a little help
A man sits on a crate near a subway station jingling a McDonald’s cup of coins like a makeshift tambourine.
​
His tone is relentlessly optimistic. The rhythm is the same every line:
quarter-quarter-half / quarter-quarter-half, “Need a-little-help, Need a-little-help.”
​
But every line is presented with an inflection different from the last, each so unique that to the casual passerby it sounds like he’s telling a story.
​
Foggy Bottom
Washington, DC
2017
At a traffic light, a man holding a sign raises his brows at a stopped car. The driver meets his eyes and quickly gestures to her middle console with an eagerness like no one’s ever asked her for money before. She waves him over with one hand and digs around with the other. He scurries towards her but his enthusiasm flatlines when she announces she has “no cash but good snacks!”
​
She hands him a small bag of candy and starts rattling off specs, “there’s only 4 grams of sugar in the entire bag! The whole thing’s only 100 calories!” The light turns green so she rolls forward and doubles her talking speed. “...and they use natural dyes AND they’re not even that expensive! You can get ‘em on Amazon for only…”
​
Her voice fades as the man stares at his knock-off Swedish Fish, unsure how to feel.
Hilliard Ave + Clingman Ave
Asheville, NC
2021
No cash but good snacks
A girl realizes it’s her mom’s birthday halfway through brunch and asks her friends for accountability.
Tryst
Washington, DC
2017
Remind me to call my mom
Salsa
What, do I say it weird?
​
A teenager misspeaks, substituting a ‘sh’ for the second s in salsa.
​
After her friends playfully mock her, she repeats the word again correctly, as if she never misspoke.
Excerpt from p 28
Sonder: The Art of Empathy
Through Eavesdropping
Before their guided hike, a park ranger asks a group of kids to pledge allegiance to the Earth by taking the Junior Ranger Pledge.
They all hold their hands up as she reads the Pledge: Do you promise to appreciate, respect, and protect all national parks? Do you promise to continue learning about the landscape, plants, animals and history of these special places? Do you also promise to share what you learn with friends and family?
They do.
​
Andrew Molera State Park
Big Sur, CA
2021
Share what you learn
A woman shares the freedom she feels after a break up.
​
She gave some background to her friends about the relationship, explaining that a shift in her ex’s career triggered a reaction of lost conversation and connection between them. She admitted it was actually a wonderful contrast to the timidness that had defined her partner when they first met. But, in the end, she didn’t see herself fitting into the new rhythm.
​
She celebrated this new version of her then-love, “She’s growing. It’s good. I just can’t be around for it.”
​
Campground
Anaconda, Montana
2020
She's growing
It's good
She's taking herself back
Campers wandering along a rolling mountain top start to scope out tent sites with fire rings.
The subject inspires a conversation:
Remember all the forest fires before covid?
They felt like such a big deal.
​
Yeah, it’s like the Earth turned on us
before we could turn on each other.
A third adds:
I heard fires reset the ecosystem. Sort of like if you want your hair to grow long and healthy, you gotta trim it. Maybe the fires were so brutal because she wanted them to be. She was trying to save herself from us.
​
They stop, picking a site with expansive views of the valley below. One concludes:
She’s taking herself back.
Black Balsam Knob
Pisgah National Forest, NC
2021
Two women sit on the front porch exchanging psychological highs and lows as they reflect on the last year.
​
One says, “the first quarantine I was like ‘what can I sell on Etsy? Should I get back into making those T-shirt blankets?” That entrepreneurial spirit was pumping through her veins. The second round she said, was more like, ‘how many netflix series’ can my retinas endure before I start going cross-eyed. Seriously though, I had to get those blue light glasses just for watching TV and I’m not even ashamed.’”
The other woman shared the opposite reaction: “This second one has me grappling with what I’m worth. It feels like everyone has picked up something and now I’m wondering should I be good at something new? Should I have new hobbies?”
​
Union Ave
Grand Rapids, MI
2021
Should I have new hobbies?
A group of women compare their dietary tactics. One woman is more jaded than the rest as they listen to one another’s trendy research findings.
​
Rosa Parks Circle
Grand Rapids, MI
2017
So confused about gluten
Sunday blues
I get it now
A young man brags on his mental health track record saying he never understood mindless sadness, but since quarantine he’s started to grasp the infamous “Sunday scaries” he’s always heard about.
​
Leigh Lake, Grand Tetons National Park
Moose, WY
2020
A man talks to his friend about his failure to find any real results from his 60 day meditation challenge.
​
On the last day he likened the fruitlessness to an impersonal “game over” screen in an arcade.
​
Highway 1 Lookout
Big Sur, CA
2021
Thanks for playing!
A woman shares the drawbacks of her job as a paralegal: long hours, lots of reading, and every conversation is centered around money.
When her friend asks why she still works there, she blames her coworkers.
​
West Side Market
Cleveland, OH
2017
The people make it better
Think I'll stay a while longer
A frail, elderly man in a diner speaks to his two companions as they begin to pull on their jackets and gloves. They ask him if he needs a ride but he declines.
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No phone, no book, no one to talk to, but he is content to sit and watch the world for a time until his community ride comes for him in an hour.
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Sunnyside Diner
Boyne City, MI
2019
A woman squeezes down the aisle trying to find her seat. She looks at the aisle number, then at her ticket, then at the man sitting in the seat one letter over. Her eyes get big. “Virash!?” This is our destiny! Stand up so I can hug you! Now sit down! Let me squeeze in!”
Before the plane takes off, they talk loudly a mile a minute, as the patrons around them stow their carry-ons. They transition to a whisper when the flight attendant starts her spiel, never leaving a quiet moment between them. The two talk about their food, family, childhood and the last time they had visited India.
The plane takes off and the engine leaves their conversation less distinguishable for the four hour flight. They share pictures of their families and their murmurings are broken up every twenty minutes by belly laughter. When the flight deplanes, they let the back rows pass them, squeezing out their last few moments together.
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SF International Airport
San Francisco, CA
2022
This is our destiny!
After the Don’t Say Gay law was passed in Florida, a woman wonders what the future holds for her child.
Imagining caution tape slapped across their identity inspires fury.
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Palace Flophouse
Grand Rapids, MI
2022
They're not dangerous.
And guess what, they're already made!
Tip karma is real
After their plates are cleared, a four top comes to a whispered consensus that their meals were just not that good.
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When the tab arrives, the son peers over at the check and is shocked to see his dad write in a hefty tip.
He defends his choice by sharing a pearl of wisdom with his son.
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The Saxon Pub
Austin, TX
2023
In a conversation about family dynamics, a woman tries to explain hers when she remembers that she tweeted a quote from her aunt years ago that would summarize her point perfectly.
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She looks it up and reads it to the group.
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Excerpt from p 322
Sonder: The Art of Empathy
Through Eavesdropping
(We're just introverts who) thrive in the dark, like a family of mushrooms
At a professional development conference for educators, a woman in her late twenties admits that her internal organs can no longer handle that decadent deep dish pizza, acquiescing to the local thin crust joint.
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Excerpt from p 72
Sonder: The Art of Empathy
Through Eavesdropping
(Glad we're getting Vitales, I'm) too old for Jets
Walk with her
A masked-up family takes a team walk along a beachside park. They attempt to remain staggered to be COVID safe, namely for their matriarch who’s bad ears keep her wandering too close to whoever is speaking. In an attempt to lean in to listen, grandma loses her footing for a moment. She recovers seamlessly, barely noticing her near-tumble. An adult behind her grabs his kid and sternly whispers “walk with her.” The kid responds, “Dad…no.” “She needs an arm.” “Dad. You’re stupid. No.”
The kid’s just scared of being the one who kills grandma but instead of voicing his fear, he defaults to teenager assholery. Dad takes it as an act of disobedience, capping the back and forth with “watch your mouth” in an undertone. The boy throws his hands in the air. Both parties are frustrated and misunderstood. Grandma’s having the time of her life.
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Huntington Beach
Bay Village, OH
2021
What are we doing?
A person opens their phone and reads aloud the first three headlines on their news app.
The woman next to him throws her head back, “America, what are we doing?”
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Les Pascals Patisserie et Boulangerie
Glen Ellen, CA
2022
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A man talks to his elderly mom on Facetime. He asks his mom if she needs a patio visit tonight, assuming she might be feeling stir crazy from lockdown.
Oh, no sweetie I’ve had QUITE a busy day!
The man raises her eyebrows. Why…did you have a busy day?
Well, I had to go to three different grocery stores and the book store for Carole’s birthday.
Mom, why are you going to three different places to get your groceries? You shouldn’t be going out at all. There are 3 of us working from home that can pick up your damn groceries.
My groceries AND my prescriptions!
Yes! Whatever! Your prescriptions too.
There is no reason for you to be exposing yourself to covid it at every retail space you can get your hands on in a day.
Mom bypasses his concern:
Jewel didn’t have my rum raisin so I had to go to the market for that. And I could never expect you to know what Carole would want for her birthday. She likes mysteries but she’s read so many that I have to see them all to remember which ones she already has. How would you manage a task like that!
The man takes a deep breath as he recognizes the sense of purpose that comes with these trips. Mom starts to ramble as a getaway from more berating. The man lets the conversation dissolve. Before they hang up, he makes sure she understands that his frustration comes from a place of love.
Next Door Gastropub
Port Angeles, WA
2020
We can't do without you
A Cinnamon Bear and her two cubs munch on some berries just off-trail. As new hikers round the corner, others shush and redirect them to their watching place.
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A man, entranced by what he’s witnessing, babbles under his breath,
“They don’t care about us. We’re so lucky they don’t care that we’re here. Imagine if they did care…”
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Another hiker responds, “If we always remember we’re guests here and carry ourselves that way, then they’ll let us be here.”
Amphitheater Lake Trail
Moose, WY
2021
We're guests here
Two men mourn the outcome of the 2020 election. They reflect on what contributed to their loss.
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One man claims their party’s values are misunderstood by the LGBTQ community, “Ya see, I’m fine with the gays! Love ‘em!”
His friend ignores the statement at first. Lost in his own thoughts about civil liberties he adds, “Just think: what if we took away their weed like they wanna take away our guns. They’d have a fit!” Then he circles back, “...but anyway, yeah, ya love who ya love, what does it matter. That, I get it.”
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Goodwill
Angola, IN
2020
What does it matter
What do the kids say?
Tell me what they say
A man makes small talk with a woman in line at the post office asking what she does for a living. She shares that she’s a teacher and expresses the difficulties of teaching high schoolers during the pandemic.
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When he realizes she must have all the intel on trendy teenage lingo, the man side-steps her vulnerability and solicits her for the tea.
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USPS
Bay Village, OH
2020
A couple debate how much of their weed gummy to take before they head out for a hike.
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Nora’s Fish Creek Inn
Wilson, WY
2020
What if we only took half?
A man feels hesitant to commit to a party and asks some follow up questions.
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After his friend senses his resistance to join, she clarified, “oh, it’ll be outside, COVID safe.”
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He elaborates on his concern, “it’s not that, I’m just anxious no matter what nowadays and it helps me when I know some details.”
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Wealthy Street
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
Who'll be there?
Why are we waiting?
Two hikers stand atop a boulder staring at the chilly alpine lake below. They take their shoes off and chat for a minute. Then their jackets and talk a while longer. They look at each other:
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Are we pretending this is fun when maybe it isn’t?
Oh, it’s fun.
Then why are we waiting?
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They rip off their shirts and jump. Their screams are shrill and giddy on the way in and guttural and full of expletives upon surfacing.
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Lake Angeles
Port Angeles, WA
2020
A woman mentions to her friend that she doesn’t think voter restrictions are problematic, they’re just a way to keep elections secure.
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Her friend challenges her by stating, “Georgia’s closed their poll locations near the bus stops.”
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The woman inquires. Her friend looks at her with raised eyebrows until she fills in the blanks on her own.
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Bay Arts
Bay Village, OH
2020
Why'd they do that?
At a gas station a man with a tucked in shirt, clunky belt buckle, and a thick mustache puts the nozzle in his car. His cowboy boots clicking against the concrete, he walks into the parking lot to watch an enormous flag nearby rippling in the wind.
Meanwhile, a girl waits next to her car for her mom to finish filling up. She moves away from the chaos as her mom cares for the gaggle of toddlers in the back seat. The beads in her hair sound the same as his boots as she makes her way towards him.
Standing square to each other, hypnotized, he breaks the silence. “Wind is mesmerizing.” She nods, both sets of eyes locked on the flowing fabric.
Shell Gas Station
Holland, MI
2019
Wind is mesmerizing
Won't go incognito
A woman shares that her sister is the first Kuwaiti female motorcyclist to ride publicly without masking her gender in her country.
She summarizes her sister’s spirit:
“Not everyone appreciates the statement but she doesn’t care. She rides with her pet monkey Tuk Tuk on her back which makes her pretty hard to miss– she won’t go incognito!”
Red Rock Oasis
Rockville, UT
2023
On a music video set, an artist raps about the struggles of being black in America. In the scene, his bandana has a blood stain from a bulllet wound. The artist stumbles towards the camera as if his lyrics were his final words.
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The film director encourages him to stumble more and grab a near by car for balance, “we’re stumblin, yeah we’re stumblin, like that..”
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Creston Neighborhood
Grand Rapids, MI
2020
We're stumblin'
At the miniature checkout counter at a Children’s Museum, a grandma and mom take on the role of customers in a boy’s imaginary game.
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The adults continue their discussion of family dynamics as they play. They verge on confrontation when the mom tries to explain some concerns. Grandma feels frustrated with her daughter’s cryptic wording and asks for a direct answer. She seems to get it after her daughter explains, “Sometimes you just make me feel like I’m a bad daughter when I just need some ‘me’ time.”
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The intensity is broken up by the little boy’s demands: “You’ll buy this” and “You put this on.” They both seamlessly contribute to his imaginary play as they deconstruct heavy issues in their adult reality.
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Excerpt from p 198
Sonder: The Art of Empathy
Through Eavesdropping
What do you need?
Say what you need
Ya'll frozen?
A man approaches a couple standing completely still at the end of an alleyway, their limbs splayed awkwardly in the air.
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Disconcerted, he stops and asks for some context before getting any closer, “Are y’all…frozen?”
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A little kid pops out from between the buildings with a wand and something tied around his head. He clarifies the situation, “they’re statues!”
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Mississippi Ave
Portland, OR
2022
At a table in a mountain town diner, a man set his jacket over the back of his chair and announced, today’s my birthday! The waitress scurried over to receive his excitement. “Oh we’ll have to sing to you then, won’t we!”
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Gruff, he answers with a “No no don’t embarrass an old man like that!” The waitress, quick to relieve herself of her self-assigned duty, gives a saucy “Well, we’ll spare ya this time” and moves on.
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As she walks away, he calls out “You can sing. Please sing.” The desperation in his voice was impossible to miss.
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Tillie’s Diner
Anaconda, Montana
2020
You can sing
Please sing
A cup of coffee in hand and a tote in the other, a commuter makes her way to the bus stop.
An older woman hollers at her from an apartment stoop, “Hey you!”
The voice is raspy and stern. She keeps her head down and pretends not to hear.
“Hey yeah, I’m talkin’ to you!” The walker looks up begrudgingly only to be met with a sweet grin.
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The woman on the stoop lifts her coffee cup gesturing a long distance cheers, “Look! You got what I got!” The passerby raises her glass back and smiled softly for a half a block after.
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Union Ave
Grand Rapids, MI
2023
You got what I got!
A kid asks his mom why adults say bad words.
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She responds, “I guess it’s just a bad habit.”
The kid, having never heard the word "habit" before, insists his mom misspoke.
Podski Food Truck Lot
Bend, OR
2022
You mean a bad rabbit?
You're gonna be okay!
We're gonna be okay!
A child in a shopping cart whimpers over a fake injury, milking it for all he’s worth. Mom’s solace is all he’s aiming for. She repeats a canned line that keeps the meltdown at bay.
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Every so often her attention to him fades as she picks through the clothing racks. His whimper turns into a wail until she gets back to her half-hearted mantra, “yoooou’re gonna be okay, we’re okay, weeee’re gonna be okay…”
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Goodwill
Rockford, MI
2020
God, you're obsessed with fossils
A mom walks between her two sons as they climb over a boulder on a hike.
The younger son is navigating it awkwardly because he’s trying not to drop any rocks from his almost overflowing hand.
The teenager, for no real reason, finds this hard to watch, “God you’re OBSESSED with fossils! It’s just a shell, it’s not even cool.”
The mom defends her youngest, “Okay maybe he’s obsessed with fossils like you’re obsessed with your girlfriend. Let him live.”
Plagued by frustration he gets the last word in, “...okay but like, literally he’s obsessed with fossils.”
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Badlands National Park
Interior, SD
2023
A curious out-of-towner asks his bartender what brought her to settle down in such a small town. She says that she likes that you’re someone here, everyone is.
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Starlight Theatre
Terlingua, TX
2023
You're somesome here
Everyone is someone here
A man riding a bike strapped with crates packed with odds and ends passes a bus stop.
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He slows down to converse with a woman and asks if she needs company while she waits. She declines his offer, claiming she has to ditch the bus for a cab anyway because someone is expecting her. The well-meaning man concedes and continues down the road.
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Before he picks up speed, he swerves his tires to keep his stalled bike upright as he drops his charming line.
Connecticut Ave & Columbia Rd
Washington, DC
2017
(Whoever it is)
you're worth waiting for
